Side-note: it was a bit chilly on Monday, March 26. As I was driving out of the Fareway parking lot with all my groceries, I captured this really funny picture:
Here are the recipes we ended up using:
Side #1 - Herbed Cheese Straws
This was the recipe that I really didn't care for, but like I said, Gary LOVED these. He literally bit my head off when I tried to throw away the foil that had some small pieces of herbed cheese straws lingering. Lesson learned :)
* 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
* flour, for dusting
* 1 extra-large egg
* 1 tablespoon water
* hot sauce
* 1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated (make it a heaping cup!)
* 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
* 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
1. Lightly dust your cutting board with flour and unfold each sheet of puff pastry and place on top.
2. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and a few dashes of hot sauce. Brush the surface of the puff pastry with this mixture.
3. Sprinkle each sheet evenly with 1/2 cup of the cheese, 1/2 tablespoon each of the thyme & rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and some pepper.
4. With the rolling pin, lightly press the cheese and herbs into the puff pastry.
5. Cut 1/2″ strips using a knife or cutting wheel.
6. Twist each strip and lay on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and puffed. Turn each straw and bake for another 5 minutes. Cool and serve at room temperature.
Side #2 - Sauteed Garlic Asparagus
Asparagus has been on sale for quite awhile now and we can't seem to get enough. This is a tried and true recipe!
*3 tablespoons butter or margarine
*1 bunch fresh asparagus
*3 cloves garlic, chopped
Melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and asparagus spears; cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until asparagus is tender. If you like your asparagus well done, reduce heat and cook an additional 10 minutes.
The Main Event - Shrimp and Parmesan Steak
This was an amazing recipe already but I took it to the next level. Instead of the suggested steak, I opted for filet mignon. Oh yes.
* 2 10 oz sirloin steaks
* 2 cups heavy cream (or 16 fl oz)
* 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped (2 tsp dry)
* 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
* Salt to taste
* Pepper to taste
* 20 shrimp, tails and shells removed
1. GRILL steaks to medium rare.
2. HEAT cream in a sauce pan and lightly boil until it is half its original volume, being careful not to scorch.
3. STIR in Parmesan cheese, basil,salt and pepper.
4. SAUTE shrimp.
5. TOP steaks with shrimp and cheese sauce.
SERVE! Gary seems to believe his plate looks better than mine since he's got the cheese straws. I disagree.
Gary's Plate
My Plate
Dessert Drink - Blushing Mimosas
This was the bomb! I couldn't find pineapple juice so I used a orange/pineapple juice instead.
*2 cups orange juice (not from concentrate)
*1 cup pineapple juice, chilled
*2 tablespoons grenadine
*1 bottle Champagne or sparkling wine, chilled
1. Stir together first 3 ingredients.
2. Pour equal parts orange juice mixture and Champagne into Champagne flutes.
***2 (12-oz.) cans ginger ale or lemon-lime soda may be substituted.
Dessert-that-we-realllly-didn't-need-at-this-point-but-still-really-good - Crockpot Chocolate Fondue
* 18 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
* 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
* 6 oz. milk chocolate, chopped
* 13 oz. can evaporated milk
* 1/4 cup powdered sugar
* 1 tsp. vanilla
* Fruit, cookies, and cake pieces for dipping
1. Combine all chocolates, milk, and powdered sugar in 3 quart crockpot.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 45 minutes.
3. Stir well, add vanilla, stir again, and continue cooking if necessary to completely melt chocolate. This can be held on low for another hour.
4. Serve with dippers.
We also used bananas and strawberries. Yes, the strawberries were the best :)
Cheers!!
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